Unraveling machine



ug. -12, 1930. G, F, MCDOUGALL 1,773,055

l UNRAVELING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1929 2 .'Shee's--SheeJrl l o@ ooooooooo/oooooooro/GWW u.;

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Aug- 12, 1930. G. F. MCDOUGALL UNRAVELING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @'fuqrfflqffm Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICEy GEORGE F. MCDOUGALL, OF PORTLAND, OREGN,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN P. WINTEILOF PORTLAND, OREGON UNRAVELING MACHINE Application filed July-27, 1929. Serial No. 381,588.

This invention pertains principally to the art of reworking` woolen cloth that has been previously woven and disintegrating it into libers and threads nearly approximating the original length of fiber inthe wool and permitting it to be carded and rewoven with a minimum` quantity of new wool added. It is also ruseful for disintcgrating any kind of woven fabric where it is desired to preserve the original length of the liber such as in paper making and the like.

That is knownas shoddy machines have been in use for many years and also some types of unraveling machines, though none of the latter-so far as this inventor isinformed have been successfuland the art can be said to be almost if not entirely new.

In unraveling cloth,'Y particularly that which is tightly woven, itr will of course bc necessary to pull the threads out one or a slightly greater number at a time across the width of the cloth to be unraveled and in order to do this successfully the cloth must be fed to the unraveling device at a uniform speed which will be a function of the speed of the unraveling device and the feed for the cloth must be of such construction that while it will positively feed the cloth toward the unraveling device, it will just as f positively hold it in very close contact to the unraveling device in order that the cloth may not be jerked away in chunks and for a further object that a piece of cloth to be unraveled may be firmly held up to a very short end, such short end being an inevitable waste.

These objects and others that will be more fully pointed out and explained in the subjoined specification and claims, are the vfunctions of the structures illustrated and described, which constitute my present invention.

The following is a general description of the. drawings accompanying this specification, in which each figure of the drawing is mentioned, andits relationship explained in a manner supplementaryl to the detailed description of the specification.

Fig. is a longitudinal elevation partly in section of the whole machine and is intended y to convey an idea of its general working principles. Fig. II is a spacing diagram for the teeth on the toothed cylinder shown in Fig. I and its purpose is to indicate that the teeth thereon in the cylinder are in rows circumferentially and axially. Many different plans for spacing'these teeth are possible so that this inventor does not claim this particular plan of spacing as an essential feature. Fig. Hl illustrates the comb plate in plan'and Fig. IV is a section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. III; and Fig. V is a projection of Fig. III and shows an end view. Fig. VI is an elevation showing an assembly of the presser feet and their spaced relation to each other and serves to indicate that though the presser feetV are plural in number the entire surface of the fabric passing under them will be covered. Fig. Vl-Iis a plan of the pressure foot portion,` top view, that contacts with the fabric to be held to the conveyor member shown in Fig. VIII. The purpose of this viewis to clearly illustrate the slots and halfslots, 29 and 30, and to show that the halfslots, 30, will be a'full slot when two such elements are'l assembled in Aadjacent position. Fig. VIII is a broken away portion of the toothed conveyor member and the toothed end of the comb plate member showing their general relationship and when takenA in connection with the side view' in the general drawing immediately underneath thereference letter A, is clearly understandable.

Itis possible for a considerable variation in construction to be had without departing from the principle of my invention. Itherefore do not restrict myselfto the precise construction illustrated which will be regarded as partly diagrammatic in nature and serves only to illustrate the principles which are particularly pointed out in the claims.

My unraveling machine consists essentially of four major elements, a toothed disintergrating cylinder, a supporting comb plate member, a toothed conveyor belt member and a loaded presser foot member, together` with their minor parts to render them capable of functioning as hereinafter set forth in detail. A toothed revolving cylinder, l0, having spaced rows of teeth, 11, which are preferablypointed, is mounted upon a shaft, 12,

io gr ous co-operatlng elements of my machine. At

and supported in bearings, 13, and which is "capable of being revolved at a high rate of .sgedin the direction shown by the arrow on t drawing in Fig. I.

1 Figwll,shows a spacingfplan for the teeth, I1, Qsfsgacng lan may he varied wide ly froiithat shown by varying the construction of the co-operating elements. In Fig. I theredsfshownm frameimember, which is diammatic in nature, that supports the varis shown a conveyor belt having teeth on of e j: i.

the working surface thereof. v For thepurpose of clarit the iinks are shown to have one tooth on thegbaokl theneo Jbut in, actual construction j re will bem, uralityofyteeth of` enerally mnd feinted aha and they wi l be relasaheghtt anshown inthe drawl i. @rein aced longitudinalrows ahah arecon by building the chain @adverteren-.mined link@ and Smooth backed y the smouth backed'inks being some- 'l "QWQY lihnlthe links and in the fr bly ofthe-machine the toothed links wfllhawe their taethin thesame vertical plane Ecrcumfrntial rows of teeth on the 5 h dgn lo i. i

fmfteethcn thcgonve or belt, 15, are inim the. drawing y the numeral 16.

i' 'Dticreptesentation of an operative 'hetwwll the toothed cylinder, 10,

i Gvcyrbelt, 15, is shown by the `llithe male @1111,18, and the `gear 1.9 y Serwatridcate that there must bpmntaineddcuite relation between the ism-fthe tocthedcgcylindl, .10, and the for- `aperitief vtlaeeonveypr'helt, 15, and that the' d of the of the toothed cyl-i r; 1Q, `will `be very considerably in ex- Gmrf the of the conveyor belt, 15.

Gaventimwl remsntatim of a fabric to f 'sedvis shown at 21 where it is carforward onto the 1e-:irmveyor belt, 15, by

ahykoavenientmeans and it is held to the conveiing surface of the belt, 15, by the ankle presser foot, 22, which is kept in close `annimmt with the fabric and holds it firmly to ithaconveyorbelt by means of the pivot, 23bell crank lever, 24, fulcrum, 25, and the vlawdiagidevice, .26, which isshown here to be a `compressien spring.

forpeveatigitlw wkled Presser fam-22, from; riding teo hard on the toothed 'ofthefconveyor belt, 15 is diagram- Insanity shown ty the saque-abi@ bea, 26a,

i. IJ.

A i `ilfhficliaaidl1 befthreadedinto the stand, 27, and

' lovknut, 28.

1g, WI is plan view ofthe presser foot, ,wind shows that the ends neat to the revolvlylidrylelelotted by the slots and u Ateeth f the said revolving cylinder, 10, may

and to avoid crowding in the draw- ,ha nien, 20.- `Thisgoperative connecgr of the fabric, 21, the presser foot, 22, is made up of an assembly of se rate units, as shown in the elevation in Fig. I, each with its own loading device so that it may act independently of all of the others and to revent a lump or similardefect in the fabric rom raising the entire holding device and allowing the fabracto' be erked forward by the revolving cylinder, 10.

have heretofore ointed out the importance of firmlyl holdin a fabric to be unraveled so that it may e positively fed forward to an unraveling device which in my presentinvention consists of the revolving toothed cylinder, 10,an'd the comb plate, 3l, which is shown in operative relation to the other parts in lli?l I inri'lan in Fig. III; and a cross section of ig. II on the line IV-IV is shown at Fig. IV. i

This comb plate, 31, performs the absolutely essential function of .pickin up the fabric to be unraveled as it leaves the point of con tact between the toothed conveyor, l5, and the resser foot, 22, which yis indicated on the rawin by the letter A. The com-b plate, 31, is justably su .rted on the frame, 14,v by the bolts, 32, an 1s provided with an endwise adjustment by the stud, 33, the lock-nuts, 34 and 35, and the lu ,36.

In Fig. IV is illu ated a preferred construction of the said comb plate, 31. It has ooves, 37, which terminate in a .slightly curvedpoint, 38, and an undercut, 39, and its relation to 'the toothed conveyor, 1-5, is clearly shown in Fig. VIII. In Fig. VIII it will be noticed that the longitudinal rows of teeth on the toothed conveyor, 15, are equal in number to the grooves, 87, the points, 38, and the undercuts, 39, and that the teeth on the conveyor belt are in the same vertical plane as the grooves, 37; that the teeth on the conveyor belt, 15, pass between the points, 38, down through `the undercuts, 39, which are provided for their accommodation and thence to the reversely running portion of the conve or belt, 15.

he oints, 38, project between and below the wor ing surface of the teeth, 16, and serve to pick up the fabric from the toothed conveyor, 15, and insure that it will not be driven down between the conveyor belt comb plate, 31. As the fabric to be unraveled reaches the point designated -`by A it is struck a penetrating blowby one of the teeth, 11, which are in circumferential rows, e ual in number to .and in the same vertical ane as the grooves, 37. The fabric will t erefore be supported by'twoy adjacent points, 38, while it is being penetrated by the tooth, 11.

As speed of the toothed cylinder, is muc' greater than the forward feed l5, and the the fabric, 2l, continued motionof the tooth, 11, will pull a thread intercepted by said tooth out of the twist and weave of threads running in the other direction and separate it therefrom.

It is essential in proportioning the speeds of the several parts of this device that the ydesigner keep in mind that one ,or more of the teeth, 1l, should contact with the fabric, 2l, each time that the forward speed of the fabric, 2l, is equal to a longitudinal space represented by the spacing of the thread, 21a. This will serve to carry this thread away from and out of the fabric from which it is i unraveled'as represented by the mass, B.

Vhen this pulling out of threads, 21a, has progressed for an inch or more, the whipping action of the teeth, 11, upon the warp threads, represented by numeral 211,causes them to untwist and fray and be carried away in the same mass as the threads 21a.

It will thus be seen that the action of this unraveling machine is wholly different from what is commonly known as a machine for making shoddy, which pulls and breaks iibers from the body of the cloth and that this, my invention, will leave the original fibers of the material composing the fabric in more nearly their original length, thereby increasing` its value for carding and reworking.

v In feeding fabric to this machine to be unraveled, a better product will be obtained if it is skillfully applied to the toothed conveyor, l5, so that the threads, 21, are as near as may be parallel to the aXis of the toothed cylinder, l0.

All

Diagrammatic means for adjusting the tension of the toothed conveyor, 15, is shown at C and diagrammatic means for adjusting its 'vertical relationship to the toothed cylinder,

10,'is shown at D and sprockets, C and D y are shown as means for producing approprivate movement of the toothed conveyor, L15. Having thus fully described and illustrated i my invention so that a competent designer could build and operate one, what I claim as plate member of the character described having teeth lying between the teeth on the conveyor `member with the points below the working surface of the conveyor teeth.

2. In an unraveling device, a chain belt conveyor member having spaced longitudinal rows of teeth on the conveying surface thereof and a plurality of loaded ankled presser foot members co-operating with said working surface and adapted to hold a piece of fabric tightly between said teeth and said presser foot members while it is being carried forward at a selected rate of speed incombinati-on with a comb-plate member adjustably disposed at the delivery end of the conveyor member to pick up and support 'delivered fabric. f

3. In an unraveling device, a belt conveyor member and means for imparting to it a selected speed, teeth on vthe working surface of said belt conveyor member, slotted ankled presser foot members adapted to keep fabric in close contact with said teeth and a comb plate adapted to receive fabric from said conveyor member at approximately the point where it is released from contact between said conveyor member and said presser foot members.

4t. InA an unraveling device,a chain belt conveyor member and means for imparting to it a selected speed, teethon the working surface of said belt conveyor member, slotted ankled presser foot members adapted to keep fabric in close contact with said conveyor member and a comb plate adapted to receive fabric from said conveyor member at approximately the point where it isreleased from contact between said conveyor member and said ankled foot members.

5. In an unraveling device, a slotted angled presser foot member having slotted ends adapted to allow passage therethrough of the teeth of a revolving cylinder, in combination with a. comb plate member to 4unravel fabric, said presser foot member co-operating with a toothed conveyor member to firmly hold a fabric to be operated upon by said toothed cylinder while supported by said comb plate.

6. In an unraveling device, a slotted ankled presser foot member having a slotted end adapted to allow passage therethrough of the teeth of a revolving cylinder, in combination with a comb plate member to unravel fabric, said ankled presser foot member in combination with a toothed chain belt conveyor member to lfirmly hold a fabric to be operated upon byA said toothed cylinder and said comb plate.

` 7 In an unraveling machine, a chain vbelt conveyor memberhaving spaced longitudinalrows of teethl on the conveying surface vthereof and al longitudinally grooved comb `plate member adapted to receive fabric conveyed by said belt conveyor member; said rcomb plate member having spaced teeth adapted to'fall between and` under the points of the longitudinal-rows of teeth on said conveying surface of said belt conveyor member "We and a toothed cylinder, the teeth of which are spaced so that the points run in the grooves of the comb plate member.

8. In an unraveling machine, .a chain belt conveyor member having spaced longitudisurface; Aand independent ineens for soidap tootmerebers. '10, `In en unending machlnewchein .belt conveyor member haningspooedflongitudmal oteeth onfthe snuiveyingsurface thereofand means for positively driving seid-con i r :member -.atelitoted speed .and e pluyrof slotted hnkled presser foot `memhere fadapted fto `fabric firmly on said esoneying .surfaco;.jnd independent means [an for-loading fsoidzluklsd @nasser foot mem- 'hesand a.. rigid soothed comb plete member itMiteethsotf which fold-between and below the points ofitheteethiontheioonveyor memberto support .carriedy veo will 1in en unrevelng machine, ithe combination of a revo1ublohdothedylinder having teethfin spaoedrowsandiarrxgld comb plate Y -lltol'nher:having 'slots toicovoqoeratewith said such slotsihoingdisposed :so @that cach sa monkingtooth hasecbmperctingislot.

:12. Innen .mevelingmeehine the combi- Lmitionfof :a lreviobubie Itoothed cylinder hsviirfteeth in Vspacedmcrim und 'a `rigid .comb phte memherfhentlg sbogto cooperate with @o enh baingdiepd so that ewhwworking tootlrjhns .o teo-operating slot sodiconveyor-Lfeodftotfoed .fabricate he "flmmvekd et afpositivefuniform'roteof teed.

` .713.111 anfunmvelingidevica toothed cylinderrdnving .teothepaoedf rows, und a womb @late membec'grooves spaced' to ndiwith thefepaeuig ofithefteeth on "thelcfylinder, and? nreoeioing .end of said .loolnof `late r1" composed of; fpoints adapte to fall between andibelow the workfi surfeceoilhemthofxacmweyor member. i511 an .,-unrglvellngffdevisom e comb winembrothot 'i attendescribed ond s ingfpoints and f 'fwdiustebcly disposed ligm'froietloil toownltjivmtrnber oiithe char- Y .gooien described, and having Longitudinal fgroovostoreceinertbe pointsof the teeth of a involving toothedt lindereo that the points .gifsaid-teethozsai :irevolvingtoothed cylinifderowill @poes fbelmitle general piane `of fsm'seoof said-comb .phtmlV 5;.111 :an i `n g presser foot membonfhaving slotted vend tndtaldnwfplns fthomthmnghoffthe eliminatie bevnlfoingwiiidero inco .through the 'Mawr with a .toothed surfececonveyor Amember and a .toothed cylinder having teeth in rowS s acod to correspond to the slotted ends of t e presser foot member.

16. In an unraveling device, a multiple as the teeth on the cylinder, said comb-plate member being adjustably .disposed in relation to said cylinder so that the points ofthe teeth of .the cylinder in revolving will pass through the grooves of the comb plate for the urpose specified.

.17? In an unraveling device, a revoluble multiple toothed cylinder having `bearings and having spaced rows of 4pointed teeth 1n combination witha grooved comb late member of the character described and illustrated, and a chain belt conve or member having u toothed conveying sur ace with the teeth in longitudinal rows and in the .same plane as the teeth on the cylinder.

, 18.111 an vunraveling machine, a comb plate member having a plurality of longitudinalgroovcs on the working surfacethereof, having slots at the receiving end in the same plane as the `grooves and points at the receiving end thereof in substantially the same plane as the working surface, the said points .being undercut to conformto vthe outline of a. conveyor.

l 19. .Inen unraveling machine, the c0mbination of a toothed conveyor member havi longitudinal row-s of teeth alternating wit 1 lower smooth surfaces, .a loaded slotted an- `.kled presser foot member bearing upon the toothed surface of said conveyor member-and a grooved comb plate having the `grooves terminating in slots with points between the slots and said points bearing between the :rows of teeth on the conveyor .member on the smooth surfaces. f

20. In an unraveling machine, `a disintegrsting cylinder havingy spaced ,rows of pointed teeth in combination with a comb platemember of the character described having-longitudinal grooves in the same vertical plane as the rows oteeth-on the cylinder and adjustably disposed inreletion to said cylinder so that the teeth of the cylinder will pass grooves when the cylinder is revolved.

GEORGE F. MCDOUGALL.

device, on Vmolded 

